The October fire at Indian Oil Corporation’s (IOC) Jaipur terminal was caused by the non-observance of normal safety procedures, according to the report of a committee set up by the government to probe the mishap. The fire raged for 11 days, killed 11 people and resulted in losses worth Rs 280 crore. “The basic or root causes were an absence of site-specific written operating procedures, absence of leak-stopping devices from a remote location and insufficient understanding of hazards and risks and consequences,” said the report.
The state and local civil authorities were alerted by IOC officials and within 30-45 minutes, personnel and agencies in the city and around had gathered at the site. However, the non-availability of self-contained breathing apparatus and fire suits left the entire response team helpless.
“Petrol leakage at the depot continued for one hour and 20 minutes from tank no. 401A, which carried over 5,500 kl of petrol, before it caught fire...IOC personnel present at the site could not switch off the tank valve as petrol vapours suffocated them, while the switch at the control room was non-functional since 2003,” M B Lal, an industry veteran and head of the inquiry commission, told reporters. J B Verma, executive director of the Oil Industry Safety Directorate (OISD) and a member of the probe committee, said the directorate, in its audit during 2003, had found the remote switch was non-functional and had asked the company to get it rectified.